1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a casing provided on an automotive seat for covering a stay of a cantilever type headrest, and in particular to a molded plastic casing for covering such cantilever-type headrest stay mounted on a seat back of the automotive seat.
2. Description of Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, there has been known a cantilever-type headrest (HR) which is supported by only one headrest stay (4) upon a seat back (SB) of an automotive seat in a cantilever way.
Reference being made to FIGS. 1 through 4, a structure of this particular headrest (HR) is based on a framework comprising a headrest frame (8), a seat back frame (6) and the headrest stay (4), wherein the upper horizontal section of the stay (4) is fixed to the headrest frame (8) by welding, while the lower vertical section of the same is firmly supported by a bracket (5) fixed fast upon one upper corner of the seat back frame (6).
The headrest frame (8) is upholstered with a top cover member (3) and a foam cushion member (7) to form the headrest (HR), as can be seen from FIG. 3.
As best shown in FIG. 1 and 4, the seat back (SB) is provided with a back board (B). Though not shown, the seat back (SB) per se is formed by a top cover member and a foam cushion member, likewise as in the headrest (HR), which are upholstered around the seat back frame (6).
In the present cantilever-type headrest structure, what ought to be exposed is the lower vertical section of headrest stay (4) and bracket (5), and in order to cover those portions, there is provided a casing which is formed by a frontal casing portion (2) and a rearward casing portion (1). While the frontal casing portion (2) is separately formed, the rearward casing portion (1) is formed integrally with the back board (B). Those two casing portions (1)(2) and back board (B) are all formed from a hard synthetic resin material.
As shown, each of those two casing portions (1) (2) is of a channel configuration in section, and they are fixed together at a juncture line (l). In particular, the frontal casing portion (2) is formed with a flat abutment surface (211) at the upper end thereof, and also the rearward casing portion (1) is formed with a flat abutment surface (111) at the upper end thereof. Those two abutment surfaces (211) (111) provide a vertical flat surface to be abutted against one lateral wall of the headrest (HR). A hole (100) is formed between the two abutment surfaces (111) (211), and through such hole (100), there passes the upper horizontal section of the headrest stay (4).
Designation (41) denotes a securing bolt, by means of which, the lower end of the stay (4) is secured firmly to the bracket (5).
However, since the abutment surfaces (111)(211) of casing portions stated above are pressed a certain amount against the one lateral wall of headrest (HR), as indicated at (31) in FIG. 3, to achieve a close contact therebetween, a plurality of objectionable wrinkles (a) are created at the corresponding area of headrest top cover member (3), against which are thus abutted the casing abutment surfaces (111)(211), such that the wrinkles (a) develops around and radially from the periphery of casing (1, 2), as seen from FIG. 2. This impairs the aesthetic appearance of headrest (HR).
Further, as can be seen in FIG. 4, a spacing is provided between the bracket (5) and the inner walls of casing (1, 2) as well as between the stay (4) and the same casing inner walls. As the casing (1, 2) is formed in this way for the reason of errors in design or another specification requirements, the vibrations, or rolling and pitching, of an automobile during its running, causes the inner wall of the casing (1, 2) to be repeatedly contacted with those bracket (5) and stay (4), thus emitting an unpleasant noise.
Moreover, it is difficult to precisely meet together the mating edges of both frontal and rearward cover portions or halves (1)(2) at the juncture line (l), which makes it slow and difficult to assemble headrest and seat.